


Subversive energy

by speakinghatsunite



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, tonks is pretty impressive though
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-17
Updated: 2021-02-17
Packaged: 2021-03-13 05:01:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,294
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29521260
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/speakinghatsunite/pseuds/speakinghatsunite
Summary: "It would be a really nice comeback though," Arthur declared. "Take ministry money to brew Wolfsbane potion for an Order member. And in an old pureblood mansion, of all places."Sirius snickered. "Subversive energy´s almost poetic."First Remus was amused, then impressed, and then in deep shit. Well, we are at stage two for the moment.
Relationships: Remus Lupin/Nymphadora Tonks
Kudos: 16





	Subversive energy

**Author's Note:**

> Obviously, I don´t own the characters. Have fun reading!

The dark kitchen of Grimmauld Place was full of people, all having rushed in and only there to stop by shortly. It was another one of those Order meetings in which responsibilities were to be assigned and then everyone would be on their way again.

"So for Wednesday night, I have paired Remus and Arthur to keep watch over the Lestrange´s mansion. For the Ministry watch, it would be Emmeline," Hestia read from the table she had prepared. "You all good with that?"

There was a small silence and just as Hestia lowered her gaze to the parchment again, someone at the far end of the table cleared his throat. "I am sorry, Hestia. But I think I can not be of assistance on that particular day." Remus said in a soft voice, looking uncomfortable.

Hestia looked at him for a moment with confusion. Then her face turned red. "Oh Remus, I´m so sorry! I should have had a better look at the dates." If anything, Remus was looking more uncomfortable now. "It´s alright Hestia. Please don´t apologise."

"No, its..." For a moment, her face was full of some pained emotion. Then, she seemed to realise that it might be best to not make Remus more uncomfortable by forcing an apology on him. She decidedly looked down at the scroll in her hands. "Right. Umm... would Saturday suit you?"

"Yes, Saturday would be lovely," Remus responded with a small reassuring smile before looking back at his hands.

As she continued reading out the following dates, the other members seemed to relax into their chairs more comfortably again. Only Snape kept looking at Remus with a small sly smile that he refused to acknowledge.

****

"The fucking balls of his!" Sirius looked hateful at the fireplace where Snape had disappeared about an hour ago. "Did you see the look on his face? How can a single person just be so disgusting? Cruel slimy little -"

"Sirius." Remus cut in which a calm voice. "Just let it be, ok?"

They were seated in the now empty-looking kitchen. Today, only a few members had stayed around for one of Molly´s after-meeting-stews. Remus didn´t seem happy about having the topic brought back up even in this relatively private setting. It wasn´t as if Sirius would let that get in the way of a good rant, though.

"Don´t Sirius me! This fucker enjoys the thought of you transforming. God, I wish you would have gotten him after all. At least then he wouldn´t think there´s anything funny in it!"

"Sirius! Really. Don´t say stuff like that!" The sheer power of Molly´s indignancy and protective fury was quite impressive. Remus looked at her, clearly not happy about her interference. "Molly, thank you, but it´s quite alright. And Sirius, really, stop."

"As if," Sirius grumbled. "Just to think that he would be perfectly able to help you. But no, instead of making the potion for a fellow Order member, for fuck´s sake, the scumbag is not _obligated_ anymore. Fine spy we have there, who´s just as much enjoying torture as your everyday Death Eater. Fitting in just perfectly."

"You´re not taking the potion?" Tonks looked at Remus with round eyes, spoon halfway up to her mouth.

He deflated even more under her concerned glance. "Let´s please not talk about it anymore, yeah?", he said with a desperate sigh. He looked like he was only seconds away from getting up and walking out.

"No, we should. Look, Remus, I´m sorry, but Sirius is right. I mean, that´s really awful. Have you asked Dumbledore if he could -" Leave it to Tonks to know when to keep her mouth shut.

"Tonks, I really appreciate your concern. There is nothing either he or I can do and I will not bother him about it again. Now please, if we could leave it be." Remus´ voice was sharp now.

An uncomfortable silence followed in which only the sound of Arthur blowing on his stew was audible.

"I could do it, you know." Tonks´ voice was soft.

All heads turned to her.

"Do what?" Sirius said.

"Brew the potion." She looked at Remus. "If that´s ok with you."

He looked taken aback for a second, then a small affectionate smile turned his lips upward. "Tonks, thank you for the offer... Um, no offence, but do you know anything about the Wolfsbane potion?"

She shrugged. "Yeah, guess so. You would have to take it every day of the week before the full moon. It has to be brewed fresh every time and you need to drink it when it´s still hot. Ingredients are a bit tricky to come by, but I think I can manage that. Takes about three hours to brew." She looked thoughtful. "I would have to ask Kingsley if it´s possible with my work hours. And we would have to work on a story for the office."

If anyone would be asked, they could have sworn that her hair had started to shine the slightest bit more neon when she looked into the others´ faces, smiling. "So, what do you say, Remus?"

Sirius let out a laugh that sounded like a bark. "Very good, little cousin. Like an encyclopaedia." Tonks shot him an annoyed glance.

"No, but honestly," he said, "you know that it´s one of those super complex ones, right? I don´t know anyone except Snivellus who could do it."

The others were surprised to see the smile on Tonks´ face grow bigger. " _Big_ cousin. Tell me again, which business am I working in?"

Sirius looked annoyed, he clearly hated to be led on. "Auror, so?"

"Well, even you must know the regulations for becoming an Auror. What was that again about the OWLs and NEWTs regarding a certain subject? Oh, and maybe you can guess who my teacher was?" Who knew Tonks could sport such a devilish grin.

Now it was Remus who answered. "You have to get an Exceeds Expectations in both. Which you did, apparently. With Snape as your teacher."

Tonks looked back at him, smiling broadly. "Yes, only that he makes it a bit more difficult. He only accepts students with Outstanding into the higher years. Not to mention that I was probably Snape´s second most hated student, right after Harry."

She clearly revelled at the look on Remus´ face when he understood what she was going at.

"Dammit, you must be bloody good." The legs of Sirius´ chair hit the kitchen floor as he sat upright, grinning over the table at her. "Never thought we would have someone like you in the family. Please, by all means, you´re more than welcome to brew Wolfsbane potion in this fucking pureblood shithole. Wish my mother could see it."

Tonks beamed at him. "I´ve actually brewed it before, once. For the finals´ preparation." She looked over at Remus again. "So Remus, I can´t promise that it´s not gonna poison you. But I would say chances are good that it won´t."

He smiled at that, a big grateful smile. "Tonks, it´s very generous of you to offer. But you really don´t have to trouble yourself. You must already have a stressful timetable, with your job and the Order obligations. Three hours for seven days a month is a huge liability. You shouldn´t risk getting problems at work just for brewing me a potion that I can also do without."

Something in her eyes changed. "Maybe I am badly informed, but I was under the impression that the transformation is of a similar intensity as the Cruciatus."

The whole table went silent again, Molly looking ashen. Remus didn´t meet Tonks´ eyes.

Sirius was the first to speak. "Tonks, you are right. Remus is being an idiot."

"So, it´s settled then," Tonks said cheery, breaking the oppressive atmosphere. "Looks like I will have to polish up my potion-making skills until next month. Remus?"

He smiled that smile again, that showed he was not convinced, yet. "You are looking forward to making me drink that vile stuff, aren´t you?" Tonks grinned endearingly, resting her head on her folded hands. Her eyes were shining with challenge as she held Remus´. "Looks like it."

Arthur cleared his throat, breaking whatever had been hanging in the air between the two.

Remus leaned back into his chair. "Tonks, as much as I appreciate your offer, I still have to decline. But thank you anyway." He moved to get up.

"Why?" Now there was real challenge in her voice. "You think I´ll poison you?" It sounded only half-joking.

Remus turned around, his hand on the handle of the door. "No, I believe that you are perfectly capable of getting the potion right."

"Remus, please, can you not stay and at least hear her out?" Molly interjected.

He looked at Molly, surprised. "I think I did? Tonks was so kind as to offer me a big favour and I declined. Is there anything else?"

Molly looked exasperated. She turned to Tonks. "Where do you plan to get the ingredients from, dear?" Then she looked back at Remus. "It´s about the money, isn´t it?"

He shrugged, trying to cover some embarrassment. He looked back at Tonks. "Molly is right. I can´t pay for it. But thank you for the offer. Well then, have a pleasant evening everyone -"

"I will!" Tonks cleared her throat and looked sheepish. "I will. I mean, it´s no problem really, I get a shitload of money from the office and I don´t spend it on anything useful, anyways -"

"No." Remus stopped in his movement out of the door. Instead, he strode back to the table and crossed his arms. "I will not allow you to spend your money, that is yours and yours alone, on something like this."

"Remus look, I can understand that this is making you uncomfortable, really I am. But if I can do something for you, that´s what I want to do... It would make me happy to know I can do something useful with it."

Remus drew a hand over his face. He looked tired. "Please just understand that this is more than I can accept. I really appreciate your offer."

"You don´t have to say that all the time, you know," Tonks said smiling warmly. "I haven´t made you any potion yet, so no need for you to say that all the time." Remus looked at her with an unreadable expression.

"It would be a really nice comeback though," Arthur declared. "Take ministry money to brew Wolfsbane potion for an Order member. And in an old pureblood mansion, of all places." Sirius snickered. "Subversive energy´s almost poetic." He winked at Tonks.

Remus was less amused. "You´d buy all these fancy ingredients and they are just lost on me. Next month you have to do it all over again. It´s absolutely useless to spend so much money on a lost cause."

Molly put a hand on his arm. "It´s not. Your wellbeing is not useless or unimportant. At least not to us."

"You know, it´s not entirely about you, even." Tonks mused. "It´s also about the Order. Missing out on you for a few days every month is weakening the Order."

Remus snorted. "Hardly. It hasn´t been a problem before. We have enough other capable people. It´s not like my weight is changing much in the grand scheme."

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Moony, come on. You know that´s dragon. Just get done with your pride and accept Tonks´ offer, for Merlin´s sake. It would also make my life easier."

"Ok, let´s make a deal. I will make it for you once, and then we talk about it again. If it burns a hole in my pocket or you end up in St. Mungo´s, then we just forget about the whole thing, ok?"

Remus didn´t agree, even though Sirius pestered him about getting back at Snape´s pride for the rest of the week. He knew he was an idiot, but that was just how it was.

******

When after a little less then four weeks Remus received a message from Sirius to return to Grimmauld Place asap, he thought it was about Sirius needing help with something nasty in the house (or just a drinking buddy, to be honest).

But as he entered and was hit with a distinct smell, he knew what was going on. He found them in the kitchen, Sirius sitting on a chair, perched on its hind legs as always, watching Tonks who was busy on a small kettle in the fireplace. Her face was flushed when she greeted him and she had something smeared across her cheek. Hopefully not the flobberworm mucus, Remus thought.

He hovered by the door for a minute, clearly unable to decide what to do and then took the seat next to Sirius. It was weird to watch Tonks working with the delicate measurements and fragile ingredients without toppling or spilling anything. She moved almost elegantly around the cauldron.

When she was finally finished, she straightened up, pushing her hands in her back. Then, she turned to them with a goblet full of potion in her outstretched hand. It emitted a faint blue smoke. She held it to Remus proudly.

"You can thank me after you had it and still feel well." One of those Tonks Grins.

Remus mused that he should have known from the beginning that he had no chance when he took the goblet from her hands.


End file.
